Gustavo Rivera

Gustavo Rivera (born November 19, 1975) is an American politician. A Democrat, he has represented New York's 33rd State Senate district in the New York State Senate since first being elected in 2010.

Background Rivera was born and raised in Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico. He received a B.A. in political science from the University of Puerto Rico in May 1998. Following graduation, Rivera moved to New York to begin a doctoral program in political science at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

In September 2010, he was named one of City Hall's "40 under 40" for being a young influential member of New York City politics.

New York Senate After serving as Director of Outreach under United States Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Rivera decided to run for the New York State Senate in 2010. The incumbent, Senator Pedro Espada Jr., had long been a staple in Bronx politics. Espada was considered the favorite throughout the election. After a hard-fought campaign, Rivera ultimately defeated Espada in the Democratic primary. Espada would later be convicted of embezzlement.

In the Senate, Rivera is known as a leading progressive voice. After Democrats retook the Senate majority following the 2018 elections, Rivera was named chair of the Senate Health Committee. As of 2026, he also served as co-chair of the Joint Senate Task Force on Opioids, Addiction & Overdose Prevention.

Rivera won reelection in 2020, defeating Republican Dustin Martinez and Conservative Party candidate Steven M. Stern. In 2022, after redistricting made the 33rd district more competitive, he defeated Miguelina Camilo by 506 votes in the Democratic primary and won reelection in the general election. He was reelected again in 2024, defeating Republican Dion J. Powell.